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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Denver/Boulder CO
259 AM MDT THU AUG 17 2017
...Today in metro Denver weather history...
16-19 In 1979...heavy thunderstorm rains on each of 4 consecutive
days dumped a total of 2.62 inches of rain on Stapleton
International Airport. The heaviest rain...1.05 inches...
on the 19th was accompanied by 1/4 inch diameter hail.
17 In 1953...a tornado was sighted 8 miles east of Castle Rock.
An unconfirmed tornado was sighted between Denver and
Strasburg. No damage was reported.
In 1963...heavy rain in southeast Denver...Englewood...and
Littleton caused flooding of basements and streets. Over
3.00 inches of rain fell at Cherry Creek Dam. Lightning
caused power failures. The hardest hit areas were in north-
central Denver. A 12-year-old boy was swept into a conduit
by a 3-foot high crest of water. He was carried 125 feet
through the waterway...but was unhurt. Thunderstorm
rainfall totaled only 0.24 inch at Stapleton Airport.
In 1972...a thunderstorm wind gust to 53 mph was recorded at
Stapleton International Airport. Strong winds also occurred
in the Littleton area where several trees and utility poles
were blown over and a number of windows broken.
In 1978...1 3/4 inch diameter hail was reported in Thornton.
In 1982...heavy rain occurred in the foothills southwest of
Denver where 4.50 inches fell in 75 minutes between
Evergreen and Conifer. Nearby...2.66 inches of rain
drenched the North Turkey Creek Canyon area in just 15
minutes.
In 1984...scattered slow moving thunderstorms dumped heavy
rain across southern metro Denver. The heavy rain caused
some road washouts in Jefferson and Douglas counties. A
bridge was washed out in Douglas County. Three inches of
rain fell in just an hour at Castle Rock...causing heavy
silt damage to a home and to nearby drainage ditches.
In 1988...a thunderstorm dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain in
southeast Denver and adjacent areas of Arapahoe County
in less than 90 minutes. There was widespread street
flooding...and I-25 was closed by 4 feet of water near its
intersection with I-225 just south of Denver. A flood
control project in Arapahoe County at Greenwood Village
sustained over 10 thousand dollars damage. Up to 4 feet
of water flooded some basements in the area. Only 0.44
inch of rain fell at Stapleton International Airport.
In 1990...heavy thunderstorm rains over the Boulder Creek
and St. Vrain Creek drainage basins caused many creeks and
drainage ditches to rise in eastern Boulder and southwest
Weld counties. The high waters punched three 30-foot holes
in the embankment of a drainage ditch...which traversed
through the town of Firestone...20 miles north of Denver.
A sheet of water 2 to 3 feet deep rushed out onto the
streets of Firestone...forcing the evacuation of a trailer
park and residents from 50 neighboring homes. No injuries
or serious damage occurred except for mud and water damage.
Lightning struck and injured 4 construction workers
standing in an Aurora field. They received treatment for
minor injuries at a local hospital. Lightning also
struck the roof of a Methodist Church in central Denver...
knocking down the highest peak of the steeple. A half
dozen people were in the building...but no one was injured.
Slow moving thunderstorms dumped 2 to 3 inches of rain over
southeast Aurora in 90 minutes. The heavy rain accumulated
on the roof of a condominium clubhouse...causing the roof to
collapse under the weight of the water. Nearly 300
residents were evacuated from the 200-unit complex because
of the structural damage. The residents were allowed to
return to their homes when it was determined the damage was
confined to the clubhouse. No injuries were reported.
In 1993...just west of Fort Lupton...thunderstorm winds blew
the tin roof off a cattle shelter into a mobile home...
causing considerable damage to the mobile home.
In 1997...lightning struck a home in Castle Rock sparking a
fire. Damage was estimated at 20 thousand dollars.
In 2000...thunderstorms producing very heavy rain...up to 3.50
inches in spots...caused flooding and flash flooding across
metro Denver. In Commerce City...a 37-year-old firefighter
drowned while attempting to rescue a stranded motorist on
a flooded street. The firefighter was wading through the
water when he lost his footing and was sucked into a 10
foot deep culvert. He was swept away before anyone could
reach him. Extensive flooding was also reported throughout
Littleton and north Denver.
$$